“day” and “morning Journal” Critical of Brandeis Terms for Resuming Active Participation in American

Criticism of the so-called Brandeis, or Opposition, group in American Zionism for delivering what they regard as an ultimatum to the official leadership of the Zionist Organization and for promising nothing in return for its demand that the destiny of the American Zionist Organization be entrusted temporarily in the hands of a directorate of nine, is contained in editorials in last Saturday’s “Day” and Sunday’s “Jewish Morning Journal,” the latter being signed by Jacob Fishman.

“A Bitter Disappointment” is the title of the “Day’s” editorial, which says in part:

“It was hoped that Justice Brandeis, realizing that all our hopes in Eretz Israel are now in the balance, would grasp the professed hand of the Zionist Organization and would again place his entire prestige and all his extraordinary abilities and connections at the disposal of the Zionist movement. The least that could have been expected was that the eminent justice would this time make entirely clear his attitude to wards the offer of accepting the Zionist leadership, that it would be a definite answer—yes or no.

PLAN MUDDLED AND COMPLEX

“All these hopes have now vanished. Instead of a clear, definite reply we now get a muddled and complex plan which it is difficult to follow and which, the more we seek to understand the less sense it makes.

“Several very, very difficult conditions are offered. The Zionist convention is to entrust all power in the hands of nine ‘neutrals.’ These nine are to alter the entire Zionist policy. They are to make a complete retreat from the present political orientation of the Zionist movement back to Brandeisism and to the system of private initiative. This dictatroship—for how else can we call it—is to last six months, and may be stretched for another two years.

NO ASSURANCE OF BRANDEIS’ RETURN

“Fine! Supposing the Zionists of America are crazy and irresponsible enough to accept these conditions. What do they get in return? They do not get the least assurance that Justice Brandeis himself will assume the leadership of the Zionist movement. They do not even get any assurances as to Brandeis’ invisible leadership.

Z. O. STILL POSSESSES COURAGE

“The Zionist Organization may be a good deal weakened now, but it still isn’t entirely off its mind. There is still enough intelligence and courage and readiness to sacrifice in the present Zionist leadership left to reject this latest manoeuver of the Brandeis group, which is no more and no less than an attempt to curtail the self-determination and vitality of the Zionist movement in America. And as regards the Zionist masses, they have now only one way out : Instead of begging the rich relatives, ‘be ye rulers over us,’ let them choose their own leadership and follow it loyally and devotedly.”

In addition to agreeing with the above sentiments of the “Day,” Jacob Fishman has this to say:

NO QUESTION OF ULTIMATUM

“The committee of the Zionist Organization came to Justice Bradeis with an appeal that in the present trying times for Zionism a united Zionist front is necessary. The value of a united front is, I imagine, clear for everyone. This does not mean that anyone gives up his principles or ideas, but it does mean that all parties lay aside their differences of opinion for a certain time in order to put up a united front against the external enemy. In such a coalition there can be no question of ultimatums from one of the parties with regard to the internal differences. If one of the parties puts ultimatums it means simply that it wishes no united front, or that it wishes to take advantage of the difficult time for the purpose of enforcing its opinions and methods upon the other side.

Z. O. WANTS NO RECEIVER

“The Zionist committee wanted a united front. It didn’t have in mind placing the organization in the hands of ‘receivers’ even though such a ‘receivership’ might consist of the greatest and finest people. The Zionist committee would have been false to its membership and to the confidence which they placed in it if, without a mandate from a convention, it were to talk of plans for ‘delivering’ the organization to somebody. This is an exclusive right of a convention.

“There is no doubt that the Zionist districts will study the answer seriously and that the delegates to the Cleveland convention will be elected after a thorough consideration of the problems which have been brought up. Once again Cleveland will give an answer to important problems in American Zionism.”